With summer maintenance work finishing, crews are switching to winter maintenance mode, making sure the network is safe over the colder, wetter months.
With summer maintenance work finishing, crews are switching to winter maintenance mode, making sure the network is safe over the colder, wetter months.
With temperatures dropping this week, the focus starts to turn to routine maintenance activities and responding to issues that appear over time, especially during and after weather events. This can include road closures due to slips, flooding or other factors, says Roger Brady, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Regional Manager Maintenance and Operations, Waikato Bay of Plenty.
“While most of the Waikato and Bay of Plenty doesn’t experience heavy snow, we do get heavy frosts. Frosts tend to be more severe at daybreak, so be prepared for this. Take care in shaded areas where roads freeze sooner, and ice may not thaw during the day. Bridges may also stay slippery for longer than other road surfaces, so slow down when crossing them,” says Mr Brady.
Next week, on the State Highway 29 Kaimai Range a series of overnight road closures have been scheduled, allowing contractors to deliver essential maintenance in a more effective manner.
“This is a new way of working in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty region. The next full closure is taking place from Sunday 19 May through to Wednesday 22 May from 8pm to 3.30am,” says Mr Brady.
“Previously we have accommodated vehicles when working on this corridor. Closing the road gives us better outcomes; we can finish the work quicker and improve safety for both crews on site and road users.”
Waikato and Bay of Plenty state highway works for May 2024 [PDF, 209 KB]
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